Shock-absorbing device.



L. A. PEUKHAM.

SHOCK ABSORBING DBVIGE.

APPLICATION FILED HOV.6.1009

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

IV/TNESSES:

L. A. PEGKHAM.

SHOCK ABSORBING DEVICE.

APPLICATION TILED 11017.6, 190s.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Luther A Fcc/rii am BY 5/. uwMmZaw ATTORNEY.

LUTHER A. PECKHAM, 0E EDGEWOOD, RHODE ISLAND sHocK-Anscn-Bme nnvrcn.

'rSpecifieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. til, tfrfit.

Application filed November 6, 1909. Serial No. 526,524.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that .l, LUTHER A. PECKHAM, a citizen of the Unitcd States,residing at Edgewood, in the town of Cranston, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Shock-Absorbing Devices, of which the followingis a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention relates to devices adapted to be attached to automobiles,railroad cars, or other road vehicles where the body of the, same issupported on springs.

An object of the present invention is to provide an etlicicnt device ofsimple and practical construction that may be readily attached to avehicle and arranged to allow the springs to be depressed withoutresistance, but to nicely control the upward movement of the springsupported body and permit the same to return slowly and easil to itsnormal level after each sudden depression due to some unevenness in theroad. By the employment of this device the springs are prevented frombreaking from sudden shocks and jars, and the passengers are protectedfrom sudden upward jerks or throws which are bound to occur,particularly while riding rapidly over rough roads in vehicles Where themovement of the spring is not controlled. Then again, the upward throwof the vehicle body has a tendency to temporarily relieve the weight andreduce the wheel traction, permitting the wheels to rotate and slip onthe ground, wearing the tires and really increasing the danger ofskidding. i

A further object of the invention is to provide a friction surface drumfor receiving a friction band, which drum is adapted to rotate slightlyin one direction at each vertical movement of the vehicle body, beingheld against a retrograde orbackward movement by a ratchet or othersimilar '0' suitable device whereby the friction drum is continuallychanging its position circularly, thereby equally distributing thefrictional wear around its working surface.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means whereby myimproved shock absorber n ay be readily adjusted so as to offer anydesired degree of frictional resistance to the upward movement of thesprings.

With these d other objects in view, the invention can of certain novelfeatures of construction, as will be more fully described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawin s: Figure 1- is a side elevation, partly insection, illustrating my improved shock absorber as attached to thespring, while the friction arm is loosely connected to the frame of thevehicle. Fig. 2 is a central sectional end elevation through the drumand vehicle spring. Fig. 3- is an enlarged view illustrating anotherform or shape of frictional face about the drum and strap. Fig. 4?- is atop view of the friction stra e as illustrated in Fig. 1, showing thegra uated tension plate. Fig. 5 is the pointer washer for indicating thedegree of tension. Fig. 6- is a modified arrangement whereby thefriction drum is suspended by two arms, one from the vehicle frame andthe other from the bracket over theaxle of the vehicle. Fig. 7illustrates a yielding connection member between the spring supportedvehicle body and the shock absorbing device. Fig. 8" is a perspectiveview of the improved bracket for receiving and retaining the drumsupporting stud. Fig. 9 is a perspective View of the drum supportingstud. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the collar winch works inconjunction with said bracket and stud. Fig. 11 is a sectional viewillustrating the bracket, stud and collar assembled.

, Referring to the drawings the device embodying the present inventionis snown applied to an automobile, 1 designating a portion of the frameor chassis thereof, and 2 a portion of one of the springs which issecured to the vehicle axle in a manner not shown, the spring beingpreferably directly connected at one end 3 to the frame, Fig. (3, theopposite end being connected by a link or other suitable means, notshown.

The shock absorbing device comprises a body portion 4, prc't'erablylnadein the form of a circular drum, which is constructed essentially of aside plate 5 having an outer annular flange 6 with a frictional engagingsurface adapted to receive the friction band, hereinafter described.This body is adapted to turn freely on the bearing portion 2' "of thestud 8, which latter is firmly secured against rotation in the bracket 9by means of the retaining.projection 10 arranged to fit into saidbracket. A toothed ratchet wheel ll. is mounted on this pin 8 and isheld firmly against rotation by being threadof the arm ed thereon andecrewed tightly up against the shoulder 13.

A. plurality ot pawls ll are pivoted on the. pins It) seemed to the backplate 5 of the. body portion. These pawls are pressed into engageinentwith the teeth it of the ratchet by their respective springs 17, one endof each epring being fixed to the free end of each pawl. By the use oftwo pawls' one may be set a little in advance of the other so that ifone pawl should fail the other would be sure to catch the tooth and sore duce the back lash or lost motion while operating. Any desired numberof pawls may be en'ipioyed.

The space in the casing around the ratchet may be filled with grease orother lubricant, and an outer cover or plate 18 may be secured inposition by means of the nut in on the outer end of the stud 8.

A jointed frictional brake band is provided for engaging the peripheryof this body or drum, the same comprising an upper half 20 hinged at 21.to the lower half This lower half provided with an outwardly extendingarm 23 to which is bolted a cap ill. a circular recess being formedtherein for the purpose of receiving the ball end 27 of the connectingrod 28. The ncclc of this connecting rod extends upward through thecontrataed opening The upper end 29 oi the rod is connected in a similarbracket 30, bolted at 31 to the chassis 't'rame 1,whereby the connectionmay have a. universal i'noven'iei'it to prevent any binding or crampingon the shock absorbing device, which is bound to be the case where arigid connection is made between the chassis and the shock absorbingdevice, as; the chassis sways or worlts about in its springs whiletraveling rapidly over rough roads. A small hood or llexible covering(it of rubber, leather or other suitable material, may be attached tothe lower end ol the connection 2H for the nirposo of closing theopening 26 and prevent dust and dirt from getting into the pocket whichforms a bearing tor the ball I in order to nicely control thel'rictioual grip and automatically compephate tor the wear oi this brakeband on its drum, 1 have arranged a tension bolt 25 2. the hcad 21:, ol'which engages a tension or wear ltlhtdll) spring 3' set in thecup-shaped portion 33 throughthc ear 3t) ol' the ubbcr halt ot thebralie band where -a washer 37. :cc l ig. Ti.

having a pointer 38 is l\'0 \'(ll to turn with said screw Zovcr a lixcdgraduated dial plate 23$). the latter being provided with a slot l-t)adapted to taigagc the rib ll on the upper halt ol the band. A check nutl2 is provided to ltlth' the .whole in position.

in order to retain the bra he band in poai tion on the drum l havehjlltiWH in Fig. :2,

33, said bolt being threaded.

a central annular rib 43 on the drum which registers with acorresponding groovc in the band, but. l do not restrict myself to thictmstruction as the taco ot' the drum may be made angular, as shown atH- in the modilication illustrated in Fig. 3, for the purpose ofretaining the band thereon, or any other suitable or convenientconstruction may be employed for this purpose. i

I do not restrict myself to the mounting of the body portion of theshock absorbing device on the vehicle spring, as illustrated in Fig. ,1,as said body portion may be. supported above on the vehicle fame andthrough rod 28 be connected with the axle, or the same may be supported,as illustrated in Fig. 6, from a bracket 1-5 on an arm 'in and locatedbetween the chassis and the sprin the stud portion supporting theratchet", in this case being connected to the b ticket 4? on the chassisthrough the arm 48 in which position theoperation of the device. wouldbe similar as when mounted in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1.

It is found in practice very essential to the successful action of thedevice that the same should be provided with one or more grease cups 42)for supplying the pockets 50, whereby a proper amount of lubrication maybe forced therein to prevent abrasion or undue wearing of the frictionalsurfaces. An aperture 51 may tllr't) be provided whereby the interior-ofthe drum may also be supplied with luln'ication when necessary.

The stud 8 not only supports both the ratchet and the drum, the ratchetbeing held against rotation while the drum may rotate aboutsaid stud,but the said ratchet and drum are so held relatively to each other thatthere will always be an annular space bctwvecn the ratchet and the innerwall of the drum for the pawls to work around in. Said space is closedby the cover IS an that the pa wls am! the ratchet are protcctcd againstaccess ol dirt or grit which would become mixed with the lubricant. inother words. the ratchet 'incloscd within the drum, but ;o that there isan annular space betwccn thcm. ach being independently supported by thesingle central stud h.

it is l'ound in sonic cases where my im* proved shock ala orbcr is,attached to vchiclcs. that the motion of thc vchiclc is much easier andmore elastic by providing a yiclding llcxiblc connection bctwccn the armoi the shock absorbing device aml the spring supported vchiclc lrauic.To accomplish this object l have provided a practical cou-Htl'lltlltlll, as illustrated in l ig. T, in which 52 is one nicnibcr otthc connection having a ball 3.; at its uppcr cud hcld in the bracketat. thc lower cud oithis upper inclnbcr la ing providcd .with a collaroi) thrcadcd thereon. 'lhc. nppcr cnd 5t} ot the lower connection member5? is prclcrably l'ormcd in a lit) some? cup-shape with a cap 58threaded at'its upper end. The lower end of said member being alsoprovided with a ball 59 held in the suitable socket absorber arm 23. heend of the upper member is arranged to fit. and work in the cup-shapedmember of the lower member with a spring 60 confined between the collarand the cap 58. I donot restrict my self to the particular constructionabove described, as a yielding connecting member constructed in any formmay be employed for this purpose.

It isfound in practice extremely difficult, under some conditions, toattach a shock absorbing device to a vehicle by means ofthe ordinarybrackets. I have therefore designed an improved backet, as illustratedin Fig. 8, grooved at 61 across its front face to receive thecorresponding projection 10 on the retaining stud S. This bracket isalso open at 62 from its upper edge to allow said bearing stud to bepositioned therein without being obliged to pass its ends through thelongitudinal hole 63. A collar (S4 is provided with a hole 65throughwhich the stud 8 projects, which collar is also provided with aforwardly extending block or portion (36 adapted to register with andfill the slot or opening 62 in the bracket 67. By

I this construction, when it is desired to attach the shock absorber tothe vehicle it is only necessary to slacken the nut. 68 and pass theshank of the stud down through the opening (32, after which the nut 38is setup drawing the extension portion 10 into the recess 61 in itsface, thus securely locking the whole imposition. To remove the deviceit is only necessary to slacken this nut 68, slide forward theprojecting portion 10 and withdraw the Whole bodily through the slot 62in the bracket. p I

'lhe operation of the device may be more fully described as follows: Inattaching my improved shock absorber to an automobile or other vehiclein the manner illustrated in 1, it is only necessary to bolt or strapthe bracket 9 onto the spring 2, preferably over the axle, or in anyother convenient position. The bolt 8 is positioned therein and the nutset up. The bracket 30 retaining the upper end of the loosely mountedconnecting rod is bolted to the chassis and the device is then inposition to be operated. ()rdinarily one of these shock absorbers willbe arranged to operate in conjunction with each spring making four inall. When the devices are received from the factory they are set at agiven tension with the tension indicator 38 pointing at zero, and shouldthis prove in operation to be too much or too little the same may beadjusted and nicely regulated to the requirements of each ilulividualcase, the extent of adjustment being visibly indicated by the pointer,which gr the end of the shock' will readily enable the whole set to beregulated to a uniform tension. As the body portion or drum carrying thepawls is' free to rotate on its axis it is turned forward by eachdownward motion of the vehicle body. At each return, or upward motion ofthe body, the pawls 1a engage the fixed ratchet wheel 16, positivelypreventing the backward movement of this drum whereby the friction bandslips on the face thereof allowing the body portion to move upward orreturn slowly to its normal level. By this construction the brake drumalways rotates in one direction causing the wear on its working surfaceto be perfectly uniform, and by the employment of the spring 34:,whatever wear theremay be is automatically taken up enabling my improvedshock absorber to operate for a great length of time without adjustment,and by the employment of the yielding connecting member, illustrated inFig. 7, the springs on the vehicle are so controlled as to impart to thespring supported body an extremely easy and exible motion, even whileriding over the roughest roads.

Having thus described my invention, what claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A shock absorber for vehicles comprising a fixed stud, a ratchetwheel supported by said stud, means for preventing rotation of saidwheel on the stud, a. friction drum independently and rotatablysupported by said stud, an annular space'being formed between theratchet and inner wall of the drum, a pawl in said space and supportedby the drum and engaging the ratchet, means for closing said annularspace, a friction band surrounding said drum, and connections forcausing the friction band to oscillate, wheroby the friction drumwill-be intermittently rotated.

2. A shock absorber for vehicles comprising a fixed stud, a ratchetwheel supported by said stud, means for preventing rotation of saidwheel on the stud, a friction drum independentiy and rotatably supportedby said stud, an annular space being formed between the ratchet andinner wall of the drum, a pawl in said space and supported by the drumand engaging the ratchet, a epver mounted on said stud and having itsmargin fitting the drum whereby the annular space between the ratchetand the inner wall of the drum will be protected against access of dirt,a friction band surrounding said drum, and connections for causing thefriction baud tooscillate, whereby the friction drum will beintermittently rotated.

A shock absorber for vehicles comprising a supporting bracket. a studmounted in said bracket and provided with means to prevent rotationrelative to said bracket, a friction drum rotatably mounted on saidstud, and provided With an annular flange,

a ratchet Wheel rigidlynnounted on said stud and located within saidflange, pawls carried by said drum and engaging said ratchet Wheel, anda friction device engaging said flange.

4. A shock absorber for vehicles comprising a supporting bracket, abearing stud mounted in said bracket and provided with means forpreventing rotation relative to said bracket, said stud being providedWith a threaded portion, a friction'drum rotata-

